The Pet
by summerenchanted
Summary: Lex is determined to find something to make his little girl feel better. Unfortunately for Chloe she picked Charlie!
1. Chapter 1

**The Pet**

Author: Summer_Enchanted

Rating: PG 13 just to be safe

Spoilers: Anything up to season 4

Disclaimer: Not mine unfortunately.

Summary: Lex is determined to find something to make his little girl feel better. Unfortunately for Chloe she picked Charlie.

Chapter 1

The room was dimly lit. The only light being the wood burning in the fireplace and the single lamp on his desk. The wind was howling from outside, rattling the window pane behind him. A summer storm was definitely on it's way!

In spite of the noise he forced himself to try and focus on the documents before him. Having read through the first few paragraphs he was slowly starting to get into it when suddenly..

"Daddy?"

Lex jumped and looked up at the sound of the tiny voice. His eyes scanned the room of his study searching for the owner but found nothing. He glanced back down again, searching for the place he left off at.

"Daddy?"

The voice seemed closer now and more pronounced. Looking up once more and placing the papers to one side he slowly stood up. He glanced at the door, noticing it was now open. He was sure he had shut it earlier.

Hadn't he?

He was just about to cross the room to close it when he felt a slight tug on his pant leg.

"Daddy, Laurie and Joey won't let me play!"

Suddenly feeling very relieved, Lex let out a short breath to look down at his four year old daughter, Abigail. Her face was flushed and her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. Her hands were clutching her teddy bear like a lifeline.

"Abby" Lex said, sitting down once more and lifting her onto his lap. "What did I say about sneaking up on people?"

Abigail looked up at her father with a mixture of regret, sorrow and confusion. Her little heart hammering in her chest, her mind concentrating hard to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. She hadn't meant to be rude. She was just so intent on getting to him she didn't even think of knocking.

Hugging her teddy bear a little closer to her face she mumbled a soft "Sorry, Daddy" before letting the flood gates go entirely and bursting into tears before him.

Lex mentally scowled at himself, pulling his youngest into an embrace. His features were mellowed as he whispered soothing words and `I'm sorry's` against her hair, rubbing her back with his free hand. He hated to see any of his children upset but especially Abigail. Being not only the youngest of all his three daughters, she was also the most sensitive. It tore him to pieces to think he contributed to her grief by scolding her unnecessarily.

After a few minutes her sobs died down to a couple of sniffles here and there. Grabbing a tissue from the box on his desk he gently wiped her nose and the residual tears from her eyes.

"Now," he said in a gentler tone of voice. "What's the matter Princess?"

Abigail was silent for a second or two. Her mind blank, having forgotten why she had sought him out in the first place. Stopping to think for a minute the haze gradually lifted and she looked up to meet her fathers eyes. So it was with a tinge of sadness in her voice she repeated her last statement;

"Laurie and Joey won't let me play games with them. They say I'm too young and they don't want me hanging around!"

Lex could see she was on the verge of tears once again so he quickly tried bouncing her on his knees to quell the unhappiness.

Of course Laurie and Joey (short for Josephine) had always been close. Being only one year apart in age (Laurie, nine and Joey, eight). They acted more like twins than just sisters and that often left little Abigail (four) far out in the cold.

He tried to think what he could do to make his little princess feel better. Usually whenever one of his girls was upset he would buy them some new toys, clothes or take them somewhere they wanted. Somehow he didn't think any of those solutions would cut it this time.

Cuddling his little girl closer he said the only thing to enter his mind;

"Hey, I've got an idea; how about you and I play some games together?"

She was still sniffling a little but Lex suddenly saw her face light up like a Christmas tree.

"Really?" she said, her beautiful big blue eyes growing wider.

"Really," Lex repeated. "Go pick out some games and bring them back in here".

"Okay," she said jumping down off her fathers lap.

Lex watched as she quickly scurried out of the room, not even bothering to notice she had accidentally dropped her bear by the door.

He slowly rose up from behind the desk and walked over to the plush object. Smiling as he picked it up and dusted it off he thought back to when she had first saw it that Christmas they had all spent in Edge City.

She had been not even two at the time and he'd been there mostly for business sake but insisted that Chloe and the kids come along so they could spend the holidays together in a hotel, rather than apart in separate cities. It was in one of his rare free moments that Chloe had insisted they all go Christmas shopping. They had ended up in one of the biggest toy stores in the city. Also one of the busiest.

That's where she noticed it. Sitting alone on one of the shelves near the back of the stuffed toy aisle.

The only one.

A white polar bear with a blue scarf around it's neck. Which would be forever be known as simply 'Teddy'. She had never went anywhere without him since. He smiled wider at the memory and placed the bear on one of the leather sofa's, sitting himself down next to it.

A few minutes later Abigail came almost bouncing back into the room carrying more than her body weight in games. Lex quickly hurried to take the load off her before she fell and hurt herself.

"Thanks Daddy," she said walking over to one of the sofa's and sitting down on the edge. She waited patiently for him to join her.

She didn't have to wait long. Placing the games on the coffee table in between them he watched as she rummaged through the pile trying to decide which one to play.

"How about Snakes and Ladders?" he suggested.

"Okay, but I'm blue though!" she said. Grabbing the box Lex had picked out she proceeded to set up the game on the table. Lex inwardly chuckled. He knew blue was her favourite colour. Everything had to be blue for her.

_Sadly her mood is too_, he thought.

His mind suddenly drifted to a conversation he had with Chloe about two years ago and how none of this might not be happening if he had been successful enough into convincing her to have another baby.

"_She needs someone to play with_," he had argued.

But of course Chloe being Chloe had set her mind on returning to her career at the Daily Planet. Making the decision that three children were enough right now and they could always have another baby, if they wanted later on.

He smirked. _Maybe it was time to bring the subject up again_?

One thing was for sure though - he was definitely going to have a little talk with his other daughters about their behaviour towards their little sister!

He was brought out of his reverie by the sound of Abigail's polite coughing. "Sorry princess," he said noticing she had finished setting up and was waiting patiently. He picked up his own counter and placed it on the starting square with her blue one.

"Why don't you go first," he said.

She smiled a smile that gave him a warm feeling inside. He was glad she was happy again.

_At least for now_, he thought.

**AN: Thanks to my friend Annie for beta reading for me. I'll try and update as often as I can. And I haven't forgotten about my other stories.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Time had gotten away from Chloe as usual. By the time she had mad it to her car it was already past eight-thirty and and gaining on nine!  
>She was tired, hungry and a little down hearted at the thought she was late again.<p>

Of course she loved her job, she really did. But she loved her family also. Sometimes she found it hard to juggle both, especially since she went back to work full time.  
>Luckily they had a great nanny and Lex was a great husband who was able to work from home a lot of the time.<p>

The girls loved spending time with their father and Lex likewise. Although he had a nasty little habit of spoiling them rotten which she was trying to quell, mostly to no avail.  
>A lot of the time leaving the girls with Lex was like putting a hungry puppy in charge. They had him wrapped around their little fingers, and they knew it too!<p>

As she drove out of the parking garage into the open air, a large boom of thunder bellowed through the sky, quickly followed by a flash of lightning.  
>The rain became heavier until it seemed like a wall in front of the cars windshield, making it hard to see. She hated driving when the road was so slick. It made her even more anxious to get home to a nice soft bed, crisp cotton sheets and a steaming cup of coffee...<p>

lllllll

Meanwhile at the Luther home, Lex was now in his third round of 'Game Of Life' with all three of his girls. The other two having come in to play after the game of 'Snakes And Ladders'.  
>Lex could see Abby was a little bothered she had to suddenly share him with her sisters, but once they had all started playing she had slowly mellowed and began enjoying herself.<p>

"Can we play Monopoly after Daddy?" Joey asked, looking up hopefully at her father.

"I don't know sweetie" he began "your mother's going to be home any minute, and you're going to the Zoo with Grandpa Gabe in the morning, remember!"

"Oh please Daddy, please please?" She begged.

Of course her pleading sparked her sisters to join in also. Lex was suddenly overwhelmed by three bright and hopeful faces to which he reluctantly felt himself giving in to.

"Just one quick game!" He said, sighing.

lllllll

After about half an hour the storm had given way to light rain and driving had become more bearable.  
>Chloe was glad there was no traffic to worry about, but that didn't stop her from driving well under the speed limit.<br>Soon in the distance she could see the chimneys of the large mock Tudor style mansion that was home, along with her turning in the right.

The spacious mansion (Lex had insisted they build, wanting a fresh start just after they married) was hidden down a private track and enclosed by a grove of trees and bushes.  
>A large wrought iron gate opened up upon her arrival, beyond which lay the secluded drive up to the main house.<br>Parking her car in the garage she quickly grabbed her bags from the back seat and headed inside.

"Hello?" She called. Stepping into the large and dimly lit hall, she listened carefully for any sign of life..

..nothing.

"Lex?" She called out again, only to be met with the same eerie silence.

Having succumbed to the thought that everyone must be in bed, she dumped her bags by the door and headed upstairs to kiss the girls goodnight.

She had only managed a few steps, when a high pitched sound of laughter stopped her in her tracks.  
>For a second she was frozen, the sound travelling through her, pitching her adrenaline. Then, being as silent as she could manage, she tiptoed her way back down, following the sound to Lex's study.<p>

She stood by the door for a second, in two minds whether to knock or simply walk in. She didn't want to interrupt Lex on an important business call!

But in the end her curiosity won out and she burst in...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Instantly all four inhabitants stopped what they were doing and looked up at the interruption.

"Chloe!" Lex exclaimed, his face like a deer caught in the headlights. The girls however rushed at their mother, all wanting a piece of her attention all at once.

Abby got to her mother first, wrapping her little arms tightly around her waist and proclaiming;

"Mummies come home to play with us!"

Chloe however, just stood there taking in the mess of the room, trying to control the outburst that was bubbling up inside of her.

Lex followed her gaze around the room. There were unpacked games spread out all over the floor, pieces of each of them mixed in with the other. Two near empty pizza boxes, cans of soda and dirty ice-cream bowls sat on and near the desk.

Finally his eyes landed on the clock on the mantle and realised the girls should have been in bed nearly an hour ago!  
>As if reading Chloe's mind he quickly got up off the floor and proceeded to 'round up' the girls for bed.<p>

"Oh please, please Daddy can we stay up?" Laurie began to beg her father. This quickly turned into a chorus of three.

"Yeah please, please, please" the other girls joined in, whining.

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chloe yelled. Everyone stopped and stood still, looking her way.

"Everyone upstairs. Brush your teeth, wash your faces and get into your pyjamas!"

The girls, (knowing not to question or argue with their mother) reluctantly made their way out of the room, quietly moaning to each other about the fairness of it all.  
>Lex however was standing stock still, waiting for the inevitable explosion of anger that was sure to come.<br>To his surprise and somewhat relief she just turned and headed upstairs, following the girls.

Looking around the mess of the room, he let out a long sigh and started gathering up the games, haphazardly putting them aside in one messy pile. The dirty plates and glasses could wait for Maria in the morning.  
>Switching off the light he silently made his way upstairs.<p>

lllllll

Once Chloe had changed out of her wet clothes and into some comfortable Pjs she felt a whole lot calmer about everything. She was still mad at Lex, but she had expected it and was too tired to fight. Wrapping a towel around her wet hair she made her way over to the vanity to check her appearance. Her makeup had run in the rain making her look slightly washed out but other thank that she looked better than she expected.  
>Grabbing some cleansing liquid and some cotton wool, she had started to correct her face when she heard giggling from down the hall.<p>

"If you're not in bed in three minutes, you won't be going to the Zoo tomorrow with Grandpa!" She shouted.

The giggling suddenly subsided as quickly as it appeared as she made her way down the hall to her children's bedrooms. (The closest being Abigail's), she stepped into a powder blue bedroom decorated with pictures of polar bears and Winnie the Pooh to find her little girl sitting up in bed seemingly waiting for her.

"You want me to tuck you in, sweetie?" Chloe asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Mummy?" Abby replied quietly, looking up at her mother with big sad eyes just like her father.

"What is it Abby?" Chloe questioned.

A few tears escaped Abby's eyes, falling down her cheeks and landing down the front of her Pj's. She looked down sheepishly and confessed;

"It was..it was all my fault we were up late Mummy, not Daddies!" She sniffled "please don't be mad"

Chloe instantly pulled her daughter towards her in a hug, kissing the top of her head and then resting her chin against it. "Sweetheart, I'm not mad anymore". She started rubbing her back, "why would you say it's your fault?"

"Because.." She sniffled again " I wanted to play but Laurie and Joey wouldn't let me so Daddy said he would play with me. But then Joey and Laurie wanted to play too.." She trailed off, more tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hey there, ssshh" Chloe rubbed her back in small circles. "Nothing's your fault, do you understand?" She felt Abby nodding against her chest and continued "I'm not mad at anyone, least of all you!"  
>Chloe let go and pulled away giving Abby another kiss on the forehead. "Let's get you to bed and then you will wake up tomorrow and be nice and refreshed for Granpa."<p>

Abby nodded a quiet "OK Mummy" letting her mother tuck her in and kiss her goodnight. "Night night" she whispered back, closing her eyes and snuggling under the covers.

"Have a good sleep sweetheart"

Stroking her child's hair one last times he hastily got up and switched off the light. Leaving the door ajar she made her way down the hall to check on her other girls.

lllllll

Once Lex made it to his bedroom he found it empty. Walking into their adjoining bathroom he noticed Chloe's workwear on top of the hamper and realised she must be checking on the kids.  
>Grabbing some sweatpants and a grey t-shirt from a drawer he changed from his silk shirt and tailored pants and got into the large king size bed to wait for her.<p>

He didn't have to wait long. No sooner had he laid his head back on the pillows she had entered the room, approaching him.

He closed his eyes and once again braced himself for the certain argument that he felt was sure to come.

He waited..

But to his surprise...nothing. Suddenly his head was being lifted up in a kiss and he opened his eyes to find her smiling down at him.

"What was that for? " he asked.

Her smile widened as she got into bed and cuddled up to him. "For being such a good father." She explained. "Abigail told me everything."

"She's lonely!" He stated.

"She's got her sisters!"

"They're leaving her out, segregating her!" He argued. Suddenly a thought came to him as he put his arm round her, drawing her close. "Maybe it's time for..."

"NO!" Chloe interrupted, pulling away slightly.

"You didn't even let me finish!"

"That's because I know what your gonna say" she said, gesturing with her hands. "Lex...", she started. "We can't have another baby, we just can't! I'm just getting back on track with my career since having Abigail! And anyway..by the time the baby gets here she will be too old to play with him or her anyway."

He let her statement sink in a few seconds before coming up with a whole new idea. "Maybe we could adopt?" He said playfully.

She laughed, kissed him lightly on the mouth and settled down into the bed, covering herself more with the blankets.

"Think some more" she replied, kissing him on the lips and turning off her light, leaving the room in partial darkness.

Eventually Lex turned off his own light, after an unproductive half hour of thinking. Laying back against the soft pillows, he or this eyes droop down and close. Before drifting off into slumber his last thoughts were of Abby and his determination to find an answer.

**I'm really sorry for the delay in updating. WOW it's been a long time coming. I haven't forgotten about my stories but I have had some health issues that have taken up most of my time. I'll update as often as I can. Thank you for reading. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lex awoke the next morning to the sound of voices coming from down the hall. He looked over to his left to find Chloe's side of the bed empty and then to his right to the clock on the bedside table.

8.03 am.

He must of slept through his alarm he realised. Pushing back the blanket he swung his legs around so he was sitting on the side of the bed. Thankful it was the weekend he grabbed at the clock and switched the alarm completely off. After all, he had nowhere to be today and even if he did, he was the boss of the company and could do what he wanted.

Walking into the bathroom he changed out of his sweats and turned on the shower. Stepping under the hot and comforting water he let it roll off his shoulders and fall down his back.  
>He stayed like that for a few minutes before reaching for the shower gel, proceeding to wash away the evening before and get ready for the new day.<p>

lllllll

"Mummy no, I don't want to wear the jeans!" Abby whined to her mother as she sat on the bed, kicking her legs against the side.

Chloe was busy rummaging around the drawers in her daughters closet looking for something appropriate for her daughter to wear. So far all of her choices had been turned down by the four year old with a style complex and she was slowly starting to lose patience.

Picking up a pair of blue corduroy trousers she held them up for Abby to see.

"How about these ones then?" She offered.

Abby whined again and stamped her foot in frustration. "No Mummy, no!"

Chloe sighed. "What then?"

"I wanna wear my flower dress!"

Abby made her way over to the closet and began searching through the large rail of clothes. Chloe watched as she pulled out a burgundy cotton dress with a white daisy-like flower pattern and a crochet collar. She instantly recognised it as something her father Gabe had bought for his granddaughter a months ago.

"Sweetie, are you sure you want to wear that? You might be a little cold!" Chloe asked.

"It's summer Mummy!" Abby exclaimed, defiant in her reasoning. Chloe smirked slightly. Sometimes Abigail could be just like Lex.

"You could get it dirty! You're going to the Zoo, remember!" She tried again.

Abby kept silent, giving her mother a sharp stare and a pout. She really wanted to wear the dress. "Mummy, pleeease?" She whined, stamping her foot a few more times and scrunching up her face. "Pleeease?"

Chloe sighed and rubbed a hand over her eyes. She really wasn't in the mood for a fight this early in the morning. "Abby, if your gonna wear this dress your gonna have to wear a sweater over it!" She stated.

As soon as the words left her mouth she found herself enveloped in a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Mummy." Abby crooned. Her face lit up instantly like a lightbulb.

Chloe kissed her daughters cheek, untangled herself from the bear hug and proceeded to help dress Abby quickly.  
>Grabbing a light cream sweater and some knee-high socks from a drawer she handed them both to Abby and went to search the closet for a warm jacket for her to wear.<br>It was true it was august and still summer but it had been unusually chilly lately and she didn't want any of her kids to come down with anything.

"I'm done Mummy!" Abigail yelled happily, breaking Chloe out of her reverie.

Chloe turned round to face her and smiled. "Yes you are" she agreed playfully holding out the jacket.  
>At first she thought abby was going to kick up a fuss but to her relief she just took it.<p>

"Well done sweetie." she said, turning Abby around to face her. "Why don't you go downstairs and see Maria about some breakfast, hmm?"

"Ok Mummy." she agreed, before grabbing 'Teddy' and walking out into the hall towards the stairs.

Chloe watched her go and started cleaning up the room. Picking up the discarded clothes she neatly folded them and shoved them into drawers. Turning around she came face to face with Lex and jumped back in surprise.

"God, you sacred me!" She gasped.

"Sorry beautiful." he said, grabbing her waist and kissing her softly on the mouth. "Couldn't resist"

She kissed back and wrapped her arms around his waist. The mixed fragrance of shower gel and cologne hit her and she took a deep breath in, savouring the manly scent and melting in his arms.

"Have you checked on Laurie and Joey? Are they dressed yet?" She asked, reluctantly pulling away slightly.

"Well their rooms are empty, so I'm thinking yes. Want to join me for breakfast Mrs Luthor?"

Chloe pretended to think hard before answering.

"Mmm, I don't know." she said smirking. "Promise not to mention having another baby again?"

"I promise.." he said, smiling. Chloe smiled also, kissed him again and started walking away. "...for now" he said quieter to himself.

"I heard that!"

Lex smiled to himself and laughed internally before following his wife.

llllllll

Once they made it down to the kitchen they were met by three noisy and hyper little girls, no doubt excited by the imminent arrival of their grandfather. The girls were sitting around a large kitchen table, each one with a different kind of breakfast in front of them.

Laurie had toast and honey, Joey, Fruit Loops and Abigail had a bowl of Lucky Charms. Chloe was relieved to see her other two girls dressed in 'appropriate' clothing for having fun and that they all had shoes on ready for leaving.

"Mrs Luthor, Mr Luthor, would you like some breakfast?" Maria questioned as they both sat down.

"Fruit Loops are good Daddy." Joey said between mouthfuls.

"I'll have some Fruit Loops then." he decided, giving his girls a smile.

"I'll just have coffee and toast, thank you Maria" Chloe said. Maria nodded and went about getting everything ready.

"What times Granpa coming?" Abby asked no-one in particular, looking around the table for someone who can answer her question.

"Soon sweetie.." Chloe began "..He should be here around ten." Instinctively she looked at the clock to see that it was barely past nine.

"Can I bring 'Teddy' with me?"

Only if you put him tightly in your backpack." Lex interjected "Remember what happened in Smallville!"

"Everybody body remembers what happened in Smallville Dad!" Laurie said, giveing her sister a deep stare.  
>Abby stuck out her tongue and made a face at her sister. Luckily none if her parents noticed.<p>

The 'incident' was so unforgettable, they didn't have any trouble remembering the event..

The family had been visiting Granpa Gabe in Smallville during the Spring break and one day during the week they had all decided to take a walk through Smallville Woods to walk off their big lunch.  
>After a good couple of hours walk they made their way back to their car and drove home. It wasn't until they were back at the house being greeted by Gabe that Abby had noticed she had 'misplaced' Teddy, her polar bear.<br>Of course one look at Abby's tear-stained face sent Lex rushing back to the woods to search for the plush object.  
>A couple of hours later but still no sign of Teddy he decides to call to a day and drive back. How was he gonna tell his little girl he'd not found her most precious object?<br>Arriving back at the house he parked and got out of the car. He was just about to walk inside when he noticed something on the floor of the backseat.

Teddy.

He'd been there the whole time!

He exhaled a long sigh and headed inside. But all feelings of frustration and annoyance had instantly disappeared the second he saw the big smile and look of happiness and relief on his daughters face.

And ever since that day they told her to make sure that she always kept a firm hold on him wherever she went. Of course she hated being reminded, but it seemed to have worked. She hadn't lost him since.

The doorbell broke every body out of their reverie, slightly startling Lex and making Abby jump.  
>Maria topped up Chloe's coffee before heading out to answer the door.<br>The girls already started getting out of their seats, impatient at seeing their grandfather.

"Sit down and finish your breakfast you three! It's probably the mail man!" Chloe ordered, getting up from the table herself to grab more coffee. "Does anybody want anything else while I'm up?" She questioned.

"No thank you." She heard a familiar voice say.

Turning around she was greeted by the welcome sight of her father and walked over to give him a hug. Of course she had three excited pre-schoolers to contend with, all anxious to get the attention of their Grandpa.

"Your early Dad!" Chloe commented, as she led him over to the table and gave him her cup of coffee.

"I had a few errands to run in Metropolis." He answered. "Hi Lex"

Lex nodded. "Gabe" he said, shaking his father-in-laws hand.

It still amazed Gabe that Chloe was now a grown married woman with kids of her own. Especially that she was married to Lex.  
>He would never of believed anyone if he was told things would turn out this way. But he was glad that Lex made his daughter happy and he was thankful for his three grandchildren of which he adored.<p>

"Granpa, are we going now?" Joey asked anxiously, mirroring the expressions of her sisters eager faces.

"Let Granpa finish his coffee first girls. In the meantime why don't you three go and get your stuff you want to take" Lex said.

The girls scattered out of the kitchen all going in different directions leaving the three adults alone to talk. Chloe sat back down at the table with another cup of coffee and the trio started chatting about various topics including work, the girls and the cliche of the weather.

"So Dad, what brings you to Metropolis this early?" Chloe questioned, eager to hear what her father had been up to.

"I've been visiting with a friend"

"Oh, that's nice. Who is he?"

"She." Gabe replied gingerly.

"Oh." Lex watched Chloe's face and the room went silent. He opened his mouth to say something when his eldest came rushing in..

"I've got everything Granpa, can we go now?" She said. Gabe as grateful for the change in topic.

"Yeah darling, where are your sisters?" He asked, getting up from the table. Chloe and Lex followed suit and they all walked out into the hall where Joey and Abby were waiting.

"Ok, are we all ready?" Gabe asked, looking at each of his granddaughters and getting positive replies.

"I should have them back around dinner time, that ok with you two?"

Chloe and Lex both agreed before hugging each one of the girls goodbye and wishing then a good time. They waved at them as they each got into Gabe's car. Lex laughed internally as he noticed Teddy's head peaking out of Abby's backpack.

Gabe hugged Chloe once more and shook Lex's hand again assuring to see them later. Once the old Dodge disappeared into the distance, Lex turned back around to Chloe. "You ok?" He asked.

She quickly turned to him and gave him a trying smile before walking off back to the kitchen and breakfast.

'_Oh yeah_' Lex thought '_she's definitely not ok!_'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Lex turned and walked into his office, deciding against following Chloe. Years of marriage taught him it was best not to confront her straight away. What she needed was space to get her thoughts together and process everything.

He sat behind his desk and took in the state of the room once again, clearly Maria had not begun her daily cleaning yet, judging by the mess still left open from last night. But still, looking at the dirty dishes gave him an idea. Picking up the phone he dialled a familiar number. After a few rings they picked up and a man with a thick Italian accent answered.

"Hello Carlucci's, how may I help you?"

"Luigi, it's Lex."

Ah, signore Luthor" he replied

"How may I serve you?"

"I need a table for two Luigi, around one?"

"Ah, anything for you signore, anything."

"Thank you Luigi, see you then."

After hanging up, Lex got to work on his 'master plan'. Not only did Chloe love the food at Carlucci's but she also loved flowers. Even if she liked to keep that fact quiet (not to get a girly reputation.) He ordered a mixed bouquet of sunflowers, roses and various wildflowers to be delivered at midday. Hopefully this gesture would be enough to cheer her up. If not, at least they would get to spend some quality time together. Not an easy thing to do since the kids came along!

lllllll

Gabe was already nearly worn out and they'd hardly even seen a quarter of the park! He loved his grandchildren dearly but he'd clearly forgotten how much energy kids took from you!

At the moment, Laurie and Joey were up ahead arguing what to see next, the tigers or the monkeys? Little Abby was quite happy walking at a steady pace, one hand in his, the other clutching her teddy bear.

The group stopped at a crossroads of the path and looked at the map. To the left was the 'Big Cat Safari' and to the right, 'The Monkey House'. Looking down at his youngest granddaughter, Gabe came to a conclusion to let Abby be the one to decide where to go next, seeing as her sisters had been leading the majority of the way they went.

"HEY, YOU TWO!" Gabe called out, stopping the girls up ahead and jarring them mid-way through their conversation. Each one turned back with slight annoyance written on their faces.

"Yeah?" Laurie questioned.

"Why don't you let Abby pick where we go next?"

The two girls groaned like he would have predicted but reluctantly gave in. Abby gave him a big smile that could warm the coldest heart and started skipping along happily.

"I wanna...I wanna see the polar bears!" She exclaimed.

Metropolis Zoo had recently acquired two polar bear cubs from the Alaskan Wildlife Sanctuary, a new feature of the Zoo that had only just been opened to the public (at a fee, of course).

"We'll see the polar bear then we can stop for lunch, ok?" He asked the group. Three little replies of ok/yeah/fine answered him, some holding more excitement than others.

lllllll

Lex was very pleased with himself. Not only did he manage to finish his work on time but he was now sitting in one of Metropolises finest restaurants with his beautiful wife, who thanks to the flowers and the element of surprise, was looking _a lot_ happier.

As he stared at her eating her lobster ravioli, he wondered how he ever got along without her. All that time lost chasing a vapid and superficial Lana Lang, when he could of been with a intelligent, devoted and brilliant woman. He was only glad he'd came to his senses in time. Things could have ended up very differently.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked, noticing her husband being quieter than usual.

Lex broke away from his reverie to stare at her face once more. "Nothing" he replied, "just thinking about us."

"And it's out you off your food?" She joked.

"No, just..thinking how lucky I am to have you."

"Lex, you've already bought me lunch and flowers. You don't need to score anymore points with me." She reached out to touch his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"That's not why I bought you here" he said "I just..wanted to get your mind off things."

"What things?" She asked, nonchalantly removing her hand to go back to her lunch.

Lex took a deep breath. _Here goes, make or break._

"Your dad and his...lady friend" he said slowly.

Chloe kept her eyes down, concentrating on her plate. She took another bite of her food but still didn't look up. "What about it?" She asked.

"Come on Chloe, you don't fool me!"

"Alright so what if it does bother me?" Her voice pitched up slightly as she banged her fork down on her plate. Some patrons turned around in their seats to stare at them, and Chloe suddenly felt heat rushing to her cheeks, making her look back down again. "So what if it does?" She repeated, quieter this time.

Lex took her hand in his again and gave it a soothing squeeze. He didn't mean to upset her like this. It was not what this lunch was supposed to be about. Now he was regretting bringing up the subject at all. "I'm sorry sweetheart, I won't mention it again."

"No no, it's alright. It does bother me" she admitted again. "But what can I do?" She asked. "He's a grown man. He can make his own decisions. It's his life. It was just a just a bit if a shock that's all!" She stared at Lex again and wondered if he was believing anything she was saying. _Probably not! _She thought.

"Look, I know it's been a long time and I know my mothers not coming back. But it still hurts to think of my dad with someone else." _With anyone else._ "You know?"

Lex nodded back in understanding. He could still recall the first time he saw his father with someone else. His secretary as it turned out. One of many he would find out later, before and after his mothers death. And although he and his father had salvaged some of their relationship (mostly with thanks to Chloe) it was the one thing he would never forgive him for. But Gabe was different. He'd been alone for so long, his only focus had been Chloe and to some extent, work.

But mostly Chloe.

He'd raised a wonderful girl who grew up into an amazing woman, all thanks to his influence and attention. He deserved some happiness and he knew Chloe knew that.

"Chloe, just because he's found someone it doesn't change what he and your mother had and it doesn't mean he doesn't need you anymore either."

She looked up at him in appreciation, squeezing his hand back and letting out a sigh. " I know your right" she admitted "but it's just...hard to hear. I mean we've always had each other. When I married you and I don't know..I..I..always expected things to stay the same I guess." Chloe sighed again, this time feeling a 'weight' lifting off her mind.

Lex always knew how to put things into focus when she needed him to. "I guess that makes me kinda selfish huh?" She asked.

"No..." Lex reassured "...maybe a little naive" he joked.

She swatted him playfully with her napkin and went back to her food. It felt so good to talk about it. Her husband was a special man. _She_ was the lucky one!

lllllll

"Come on Granpa, the 'Cat House' is this way!"An excited Joey called out behind her.

"JOEY WAIT FOR US TO CATCH UP!" Gabe called out.

Once again Joey and Laurie were 'miles' ahead, leading the way, whilst he and little Abby were lagging behind in the rear.

After a long look at the polar cubs, the group had stopped for lunch at the food courts. Of course everyone wanted something different, which meant Gabe had to queue up at three different fast food stations - McDonald's, KFC and Subway. After eating they had made a 'pit-stop' at the bathrooms and then the same argument broke out again (whether or not to see the tigers or the monkeys!).Gabe suggested they toss a coin. Heads for tigers, tails for the monkeys.

Heads - tigers. To her delight and her sisters woe, Joey had got her way.

"We're NEVER gonna see the monkeys!" Laurie complained, stamping her foot and looking sour.

"Yes we are" Gabe reassured "we've got plenty of time!" He quickened his pace to catch up to them, picking up Abby in the process, holding her in his arms so she wouldn't be pulled along and trip.

lllllll

Once Lex and Chloe had arrived back home they were met with a ringing phone and a while bunch of messages for each of them. But they didn't care. It had been a great afternoon for both of them. After that 'weighty' discussion at the restaurant, they had relaxed into a playful banter. Chloe had ordered her favourite dessert - chocolate tiramisu and a large cup of coffee. Then to work off all the calories, the couple took a walk thorough downtown Metropolis, taking in the cities sights and sounds and treating themselves to a little shopping here and there.

Now they were back home they we're holed up in the sitting room, enjoying the last hour or so of peace and quiet before the kids got home. Lex had opened a bottle of wine, put on some soothing music and even made a fire before joining Chloe on the sofa, propping her legs in his lap and rubbing them gently.

"Mmm, that's nice" she commented, closing her eyes and leaning back into the cushions.

"Can I keep you?" She laughed.

"You can keep me as long as you want" he said seriously.

"It was wonderful today Lex, thank you."

"Your entirely welcome Chloe". He took a sip of his wine and leaned closer towards her head. "You know...we could take this into the bedroom" he suggested with a wry grin.

She opened her eyes to look at his face and smiled. "Only if you thin you can work a miracle before the kids get home" she winked.

"I can try." They both laughed as he snuggled up to her, climbing partially on top and kissing her mouth.

"I love you Mrs Luthor." He whispered.

"And I love you, Mr Luthor"

They kissed again but this time with more fervour and passion. This led to a whole host of them along with desperate fumbling's, which led to buttons being undone and then onto removal of clothing. Chloe had gotten so far as to removing Lex's shirt and unzipping his pants when a loud chime rang out.

"Wha..what's that?" Chloe stuttered, pulling away from his kissing.

"The doorbell" Lex replied, clearly not caring.

But she sat bolt upright. Nearly butting heads with him she grabbed his shirt up from off the floor and passed it to him awkwardly before starting to redress herself. "Hurry" Chloe urged, startled by the repeated ringing and the sound of Maria's footsteps. She could only imagine the looks on her children's faces if they were to walk in now, not to mention her father!

Fastening up the last button on her shirt, she checked her appearance in the large mirror over the mantle and running her fingers through her hair for good measure she finally decided she looked as close to 'normal' as she was gonna get. Lex however was still buttoning up the remaining few buttons on his shirt whilst trying to get his feet into his shoes at the same time. Chloe reached over and helped guide each one into the soles, tying the laces up after.

"Thanks sweetheart." He strolled over to the mirror also to check his state of appearance. He nodded to himself in approval, making Chloe smile in amusement and walk over to give him a small kiss.

"Let's go." She whispered, making a move towards the exit, leaving Lex to follow her and admire the 'view'.

lllllll

Once Maria had the door open, she was nearly bowled over by three hyper little girls (that she suspected had had too much sugar) all giggling and 'bouncy' and holding a stuffed animal, each one a different species.

Laurie held a chimpanzee, Joey a meerkat and Abby if course had another polar bear, one more than twice the size and with more fur than Teddy! (Teddies being partially worn away through years of cuddling). Trailing not far behind was Gabe, who looked decidedly worse for wear and about ready for bed.

Thanking Maria, he stepped further into the hall and quickly scanned the area for any sign of Lex or Chloe. He'd actually expected them to answer the door and so was a little surprised to find virtually no one around at this time.

_'Surely they hadn't of gone out somewhere?'_

Clearly the girls were thinking it too, judging by the questionable looks at their faces. "Where's mummy and daddy?" Abby asked, the only one of them to think to ask the question.

"They're probably around here someplace." Gabe replied, looking around whilst helping her off with her coat.

"MUMMY, DADDY?" Joey called out, her sisters joining suit.

Abby started climbing the stairs to look for them, when suddenly a door opened off to the left of the hall, startling them all a little until they saw Chloe stumble out, closely followed by Lex.

"Ah, there you two are!" Gabe exclaimed.

Lex and Chloe both tried their best not to look as sheepish as they felt as they gave their best 'fake' smiles and instinctively smoothed down their clothing.

"Hi guys!" Chloe greeted, smiling at each one of her girls. "Did you have a good time?"

Three small but happy voices replied in unanimous positive answers of "yes", "yeah" and "it was great mummy!"

Abby bounced forward to her parents, proudly holding her new polar bear. "Look mummy, look daddy" she said, shoving the larger polar bear up to their faces.

"Wow!, he's terrific" Lex said, taking the polar bear from her. "Finally some company for 'Teddy'. What's his name?"

"Elton"

"Elton, that's an unusual name. How'd you choose that?"

"Cause..it's..it's wrote on the tag." She pointed out with her finger.

Lex turned the bear over to the tag on the bottom of the leg. 'Elton Gift Bears' it read. "So it is." He laughed and knelt down to her level. "I think it's a great name."

"What do you think mummy?"

"I think it's wonderful honey.." She replied, rubbing the material "...so soft".

"Hey guys, why don't you go and get washed up before dinner?" Lex suggested.

"Ok daddy". Abby ran off taking her sisters with her and leaving the adults alone.

Chloe had noticed her father still had his coat on and couldn't help but wonder if it was because he wanted to make a getaway. She decided to test the waters; "Dad, you can join us for dinner if you want." She suggested. "Unless...you have to be somewhere else?"

There was a second or two when she thought he was going to decline, her heart began to sink. _'He has no time for me anymore' _she thought.

"No..I'd love to" he accepted. "What are we having?"

"Whatever Maria's cooking" Lex replied With a grin.

"Just as long as Chloe's not!" Gabe joked, earning him a playful swat from his daughter and a laugh from Lex.

Chloe turned to her father on a more serious note. "Dad, you know you didn't have to buy them anything" indicating the stuffed animals.

"Chloe, their my grandchildren, of course I'm gonna spoil them. It's in the rule book!" He joked.

Chloe shook her head and crossed her arms. "Your just like Lex" she commented.

Just as Lex was gonna 'defend' himself he was interrupted once again by the charging force of his daughters, charging down the stairs for their dinner.

"Can we eat now?" Laurie asked, looking around at each of the adults.

"Yeah go on in" lex said, pushing them lightly toward the dining room. He turned to the other two adults "shall we?" He asked, motioning with his hands for them to proceed before him.

A/N: Thank you for reading this story. I hope you all like it. Please review, thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter

As soon as Lex and Abby walked through the door of 'Pet Zone', Lex was immediately hit by the smell of sawdust. As they walked further in the scent changed to a combination of fish and the special unique scent of fur.

He looked around. It was a relatively large store with about half a dozen people working in it.

One of them - a pimply faced teenager, all of about seventeen with spiky red hair quickly came up to them to offer his services.

"Can I help you?" He asked in a hurried tone, obviously recognising the bald billionaire and wanted to make a good impression.

Lex turned him down and explained he'd rather have a look round on his own first if he didn't mind (not like he cared).

The spotted youth didn't seem to, just smiled and said "I'll be around if you need me" and walked away.

Lex watched him go and looked around again. Holding his daughters hand they walked round the store taking everything in. Families were looming over various furry animal pens, teenagers were laughing and joking at the caged primates and two pre-teens were trying to get the parrots to talk to them.

To say he felt uncomfortable was an understatement. So much so he almost wondered what he was doing there.

Then he looked down to Abby, realising. He flashed backed to the previous evening...

'Once everyone was comfortably seated at the table, Maria brought out several serving plates of food. A roast joint of beef, roast potatoes, greens and gravy.

"That looks delicious, thank you Maria."Chloe said.

"Your welcome Mrs Luthor." She replied heading back off into the kitchen.

"Mmmm...smells delicious too." Gabe commented, making Chloe laugh, knowing full well that roast beef was one of his favourite meals.

"Well, dig in!" She encouraged, helping herself to a glass of wine. Everyone began passing round different serving plates, while Chloe started cutting her children's beef into smaller, chewable pieces. As she finished the last plate she then began piling vegetables onto each of them, before giving them back and helping the girls with the gravy.

As expected both Laurie and Joey began picking at the green veg, even going so far as to putting some back on the platter.

Abby however, just started eating. Chloe knew that whatever she couldn't eat would be left on her plate at the end (but that would be barely anything). She was an angel.

Gabe looked on in amusement, remembering a time when Chloe used to do the same thing. It seemed like only yesterday to him.

"What's up with those vegetables, hmm?" He asked, looking at each of the girls.

Both of them made disgusted faces, making all the adults in the room laugh.

"Veggies are yucky!" Joey replied, putting more of her vegetables back. Chloe tried her best to stop them but they were both adamant not to eat them. So with a defeated sigh she turned back to her own meal which was getting colder the more she delayed. Grabbing the gravy pot once again she poured on a generous helping of hot gravy hoping it would help warm it up a little.

"So guys, did you have a good time today?" Lex asked. "What did you do?"

"Yeah, I hope you were good for Grandpa!" She interjected, giving the girls a warning look.

The girls gave her a look back as if butter wouldn't melt and carried on with their dinner.

"Yeah, we were good mummy." Laurie replied with her mouth full.

Chloe shook her head, "Don't talk with your mouth full sweetheart!"

"Sorry mummy."

"WE SAW POLAR BEARS!" Abby suddenly exclaimed loudly.

"And tigers!" Joey said.

"And monkeys!" Laurie followed.

"Did you?"

"Yeah, we had lunch at McDonald's and KFC and Subway!" Abby said proudly.

"So That's why you don't want to eat your vegetables!" Lex commented.

"No daddy, we don't eat them cause they're horrible!" Joey laughed, making the other kids smile and laugh too.

The conversation continued in a happy note for the remainder of the meal. They chatted about the children, school, work, Smallville. Everyone was really enjoying themselves. After everyone was done with their mains, Maria came in to clear the dishes, asking if anyone wanted dessert (a portion of her 'famous' lemon meringue pie).

Of course, the children instantly put their hands up for some, declaring "I do, Yeah, Me too!"

But Chloe gave them a stern look, telling them "Girls who don't eat their vegetables don't get any pie!"

The children groaned in return, Joey going so far as to stamp her foot in response. Their faces looking sour they turned to their father, hope in he would be more reasonable.

"Please daddy, please can we have some? We'll be real good and we'll eat all our veggies next time, pleeaase?" They whined.

Lex pinched the the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He hated when it all came down to him. He didn't want to say no to his princesses but his gut was telling him him to. Besides he could 'feel' Chloe's stare from across the table and if did allow them he knew he would pay for it later!

"I'm sorry girls, I have to agree with your mother on this one." He decided.

There were groans, sighs and deeper sour faces from all three of them. Laurie crossed her arms and glared at him. Joey bounced her fist up and down on the table. Abby just looked down in sadness. "But daddy, mummy, I ate all my veggies!" She reasoned.

"I know sweetie, but I have a feeling all of you've had enough sugar today to last you the whole week!" Chloe explained to them, giving her father a knowing stare.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Gabe said. "Do you know how difficult it is to say no to them?"

"I know Lex does!" Chloe said amusedly, causing Lex to give her a smirk. He knew she loved joking with him about that as much as berating him.

"Besides..it's my job to spoil them, remember!" Gabe said.

"Fine." Chloe sighed and gave up. It was obvious she wasn't gonna win this war. Ever. Turning to the girls she suggested they go and unpack their things and play for a little while. They grumpily got out of their chairs to leave, pushing them under the table.

"Don't forget to take your new bears too!" She reminded them, getting various defeated replies back. Only Abby gave a little wave before leaving, making her heart warm and her face smile.

'She really is an angel' Chloe thought.

Once all the girls were out of hearing range, Maria brought in the pie, placing it in the centre of the table. Chloe took the lead, cutting it into segments and dishing it up to everyone while Maria brought in a pot of coffee and served each member of the table.

Chloe inhaled the full bodied aroma, drawing the scent into her and revelling in its comforting effects.

Gabe watched on in amusement once again, as Chloe brought the cup to her lips, breathing in the aroma and taking a large swallow.

'It's good to know some things never change' he thought. Picking up his own cup he took a sip and dug into his piece of dessert, letting out a long sigh at how good it was.

"So..what's been happening since the last time I saw you guys, we didn't really talk much this morning did we?"

"Not much." Chloe replied, taking another sip. For a second she wondered if she should bring up the subject of his new relationship. But no. She still wasn't ready to hear about it she realised. 'Unless he brings in up!'

"Abby's been feeling a little lonely lately." Lex spoke up.

"Why's that? She's got her sisters hasn't she?" Gabe questioned, confused.

"They've been leaving her out, not letting her play with them etc."

Gabe's heart sunk in sympathy for his youngest granddaughter. It made him sad and a little angry that anyone hurt her, even if it was her own sisters. 'But what could he do?'

"Do you want me to have a little talk with them?" He asked, hoping it would help in some way.

Chloe smiled at him, she knew she could always count on her father to want to help, she loved that about him. But in this case she doubted it would do any good.

"Thanks dad, but lex has already tried that. Besides, they probably would still carry on excluding her even if you did try and talk to them. We'll just have it think of something else" she sighed sadly.

There was silence for a few minutes as they all tried to think. Suddenly Gabe's head shot up, "Maybe you could buy her something?" He suggested.

"Like a toy?" Chloe asked.

"More like...a pet. Something she could play with, keep her company, maybe even train!"

Chloe's face brightened in excitement. "That's a great idea dad!" She praised, taking another bite of her pie. "I'm surprised you didn't think of that Lex!" She smirked.

Lex looked up and smirked back before going back to picking at his dessert. 'How come didn't he think of it?' He asked himself. He was reluctant to admit it but it wasn't such a bad idea. It was actually very good. He was just gonna have to put his 'new baby idea' on the back burner for now.

"What'd you think Lex?" Chloe asked, interrupting his train of thought.

"Hmm?" Lex looked up realising he'd missed part of the conversation.

"We were just discussing what type of animal would be best for Abigail. I'm thinking maybe a cat or a rabbit or something, nothing too big. Certainly not a dog! I don't think the kids are responsible enough for that. Besides, we hardly ever have time for ourselves, let alone a dog and we can't ask Maria to take care of it along with all her other duties!"

Lex watched as Chloe took in air. It always amazed him how she could speak so much without needing to take a breath. Just listening to her made him feel like he was gasping for air.

"Yeah, I think a cat or rabbit's a good idea" he agreed. "I'll take her out tomorrow if if you want and she can pick out one she likes."

"Cool, well that's settled then!"'Finished, done! At least that's one less thing to worry about.' She thought.

The adults continued talking for a little while longer. Chloe really started to unwind and enjoy herself, it was great to spend time with her father.

But soon after everyone had finished off their second coffees, Gabe excused himself to visit the bathroom. Once he returned he decided it was 'past his bedtime' and made a move to get his coat.

Chloe watched in disappointment as he slipped it on and tried frantically to think of something to make him stay a little longer.

It was true it was past nine, but it was still relatively early in Chloe's book. So she was confused as to why he'd be rushing off so soon. She'd thought he'd at least spend a little more time with his granddaughters. 'Or me'

"Dad, why don't you stay here tonight? I know the kids would love to have you sleep over, what do you say?" She asked, hoping.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'd love to but I promised Gillian I'd take her shopping in the morning. Then some old friends from work have invited me for a drink."

"Oh." Her heart immediately sank down to her feet. 'Gillian, so that's her name!"

Gabe picked up on her disappointment and pulled her in for a hug. "Look, why don't you all come over for dinner tomorrow night? I know Gillian would love to finally meet you all and it'll give me a chance to thank you for the wonderful dinner tonight."

"Sounds great Gabe, doesn't it Chloe?"

This time it was Chloe's turn to be confused as she was broken away for her thoughts and feelings. "Huh?..uh..yeah..yeah that sounds great. But dad, you don't have to. You know your welcome here anytime." She said softy.

"It's settled, you're coming over." Gabe concluded. "How does seven sound?"

"Seven's fine dad." She said with fake a enthusiasm that Gabe didn't pick up on.

"Good, well I'll just go and say goodbye to the girls then."

"Kay." She whispered.

Lex watched as Gabe made his way up the stairs to the girls rooms and put his arm around Chloe. He could see she was more than a little upset and maybe a little let down. She suddenly had to share her father with another woman. Someone she knew nothing about. Hopefully after tomorrow night everything would get a lot better. For Chloe and Abigail.

Suddenly the disappointment of his children could be heard from upstairs. Even from where he was the objections and pleas for their grandpa to stay travelled well.

As Gabe came back down he was followed closely by the girls, all of them with downhearted expressions on their faces (matching their mothers) and they were all eager to have once final piece of attention before he left.

"Grandpa, why'd you have to go?" Laurie asked.

"Yeah, why can't you stay?" Joey butted in. Abby remained silent, just sadly staring at everyone in confusion.

Gabe gave a sympathetic look to each of them as he buttoned up his coat and Abby came up to him a hug which he eagerly returned. It was always this way, each time he had to say goodbye to them. "Hey now, you'll see me again. You're all coming over for dinner tomorrow night."

"In Smallville?" Abby asked.

"No, here in Metropolis, at my friends place. You're all coming over tomorrow night."

The girls still looked disappointed but they knew they had to give in to the inevitable. So with one last hug and a kiss from each of them, plus a kiss and a hug from Chloe (and a handshake from Lex) he said one last final goodbye and left.

The door closed and the children started getting irritable and restless. Laurie and Joey headed towards the kitchen to see if they could finally get a piece of the leftover pie. Whilst Abby just went into the living room to lounge on the sofa.

Lex could see she was 'overtired'. It had been a long say for everybody. He would never admit it but he was only human. He could get tired like everyone else, and right now he suddenly felt very tired too.

Seeing Abby's eyes flutter shut he decided to pick her up and carry her to her room. After tucking her in, in her clothes (he didn't want to wake her just to put her pyjamas on) and switching on a night light he left and headed back downstairs.

On his way back down to the hall he was met by Chloe, who was busy ushering the rest of the 'gang' towards the stairs. Laurie and Joey both had identical 'bummed out' expressions on their faces.

"Didn't get any pie then!" He concluded, looking between each of them and laughing. They sent back sarcastic and miserable looks and continued on up the stairs to bed.

"I'll meet you up there." Chloe called back. Lex nodded and proceeded to carry on his task of checking the house. Something he did every night since they bought the property, ten years ago.

He'd start by checking the lights were off, then make sure the windows were shut, activating the alarm system before going on his merry way to bed.

lllllll

Moments later Chloe found him walking walking into their bedroom, a little earlier than expected. She'd thought he'd at least stay up a little longer to read or reply to some of the messages he'd received.

'He just be really tired' she thought, watching as he changed and got into bed beside her.

His head fell back deep into the pillows, his eyes drifting shut. Chloe could hear his breathing even out and wondered whether or not to try and test if he was awake.

"Lex?" She questioned softly.

After about ten seconds she quickly decided he must be sleeping and gave up. She stared at him for a few more seconds after, revelling in how peaceful he seemed.'Like a strong and handsome angel' she thought.

So as quietly a she could she extracted herself from the bed sheets, pulled back the covers and made her way over to the door. With a final glance in his direction, she left to make one last check on the girls.

Lex could feel the bed shift and the sudden emptiness of the room. He opened his eyes briefly to check.

Empty as he assumed.

With a little groan he reached over and turned off his bedside lamp (he was too tired to turn off Chloe's). Settling himself down again into the covers he willingly allowed himself to drift off into peaceful slumber, his last and only thought reminding him to take Abby to the pet shop as soon as he could.'

Coming back to the present, he was met by that same odour of sawdust and fur. It as then he looked down and realised Abby was no longer standing next to him. Panic set in.

He frantically started looking round the store, the aquarium, the caged animals; mice, hamsters, cats and even the puppies. Anywhere he could think of that she might be.

He was just about to go and get one of the staff to make an announcement on the loud speaker when he heard a little voice he thankfully recognised calling his name.

"Daddy, daddy, over here, come quick!"

He followedthe voice and eventually found her by the amphibian cages (somewhere he never thought to look).

"ABBY, DON'T YOU EVER RUN OFF LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Lex sternly warned his daughter. Suddenly he realised he was in a public place and had to control his temper (If Chloe were here she'd reprimand him for it) but it was hard not to, especially when he of all the things that could of happened to his little princess.

He looked down at her, noticing she was busy looking ashamedly at her feet, tears starting to form in her eyes. He pulled her in for a hug, trying to comfort her and attempted to explain why he got so upset.

After telling her it was dangerous to go wandering off and letting her have a bit of a cry she pulled him over to where she was looking.

"I'm sorry daddy, but look!" She pointed.

Lex looked over and was surprised to find she was indicating the spiders cages.

"Can I have one daddy, please, please?"

TBC - thank you for reading.


End file.
